


Fractured

by aNGELICmURDER



Series: It's August Though [18]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, No Dialogue, Stress
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-22
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-08-10 11:57:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7843981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aNGELICmURDER/pseuds/aNGELICmURDER





	Fractured

It started out quite small, of course no one would question why exactly a twelve year old wouldn’t eat. Many adults saw it as the it thing to do. Kids just wouldn’t eat breakfast. Connie thought so at first too. She’d wake up just a bit too late. Not late enough that, if we were being fair, her ability to eat would be hampered but late enough to wave off all concerns about eating. 

She was fine with it. Lunch was extra heavy because of skipping breakfast, her father packing the uneaten treat into her lunch kit with notes of loves and reminders that despite how much he let his wife tie her to the insane scheduling he did truly love his daughter. Connie kept every one. 

Soon breakfast was not a meal she took part in. Entering Grade seven meant she needed more time to invest in her academics. Early mornings after training with her (really Steven’s by birth) sword meant little time to actually eat breakfast and work (her father reminding everyone that no one under any circumstances was allowed to work at meals).

Down to two meals a day and a heavy course load and Connie found herself cutting back once more to save time. Her extra heavy lunch remained half eaten much to her father’s dismay and his notes got a little more worried each day. Connie began dumping the uneaten portions after her meals.

Exams came up and all her lunch went into the bin.

Her father pulled her aside one day. He was almost always the one pointing out things wrong with her, when he was home anyway. She’d just gotten out of her French classes and really needed to start on homework. He made small talk, trying to prod Connie to talk to him, open up maybe see him as a confident of sorts. He didn’t realise her mother had already made that impossible. She never lied to her parents, not really but it’s not lying if they never really took an interest in her either. She soothed his worries and finally he gave up. She was pretty happy about that one.

That didn’t stop her father from leaving her notes of worry. Those ones she started throwing out.

Pearl was the second one to talk to her about, though not directly. She made a comment about Connie’s inability to stand straight, a slight swaying whenever she held her sword and how unfocused she was whenever she lunged. Pearl was just as easy to dodge around, she made mentions of school being stressful and worries about her father’s job wanting them to move.

And if she was a little proud of lying so smoothly then. She didn’t expect Pearl to bench her for that. She tried to argue, tried to get Pearl to realise that she was just as capable as anyone else but the Gem was having none of it. She said lessons would resume during school break. Connie almost started crying.

It wasn’t long after that dinner followed suit. This one, well this one was tricky, she ate with both parents on a good day and her dad occasionally so skipping dinner when she was alone was easy. Scrap some leftovers into a bin make dirty dishes boom, instant fed Connie but eating with her parents? She had to eat there was no way of hiding food that her parents sharp eyes couldn’t see.

But her habits caught up to her, her stomach had shrunk; too small to actually and Connie would throw up, every meal.

One night, after a particularly heavy diner she found herself on the couch. Her father was standing over her mother, looking worried and nervous, her mother looked angry. She didn’t have to say anything and Connie knew what she would say regardless. 

How could you do this? She’d ask, how dare you make us look neglectful she’d say. What Connie didn’t expect was a full on bear hug from her mother. She didn’t expect salt heavey and warm tears to slide down her neck. She didn’t expect to hear how sorry she was for not noticing sooner. Connie expected so many other hings from her mother but an apology wasn’t on the list. It wasn’t part of the fever dreams she had at night or the anxious fears that whispered to her during meals. Her father wrapped them both up in his arms and both of them had much to say.

Each word boiled down to a full out apology, promises to do better, she didn’t think she’d cry over something like this either. She thought she’d be angry. Instead she was tired and just accepted that she’d come to the part of her life she just couldn’t fight through.


End file.
